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The Role of the Holy Spirit in Discipleship in a hostile world: an exegetico-theological analysis of John 16:7-15 By Rudi Boshoff A mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology at the South African Theological Seminary September 2015 Promoter: Dr A Asumang i ii Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and has not previously in its entirety or in part been submitted to any academic institution for a degree. ______________________________ Rudi Boshoff September 2015 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP) iii Acknowledgements In the same way that Helen Keller said: ‘alone we can do so little, together we can do so much’, I would like to thank the following people for making this thesis possible. Firstly, my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, who gave me the strength and the energy to pursue something that at times seemed impossible. Secondly, my wife, who stood behind me and supported a dream and encouraged me, while our family grew from the two of us to six. You really made this possible, and without you I would have failed. My children, who daily saw me behind the computer and just greeted me, and gave me the space to complete the task at hand. The company that I work for was gracious enough to release me one day in the week, and understood that the dream was real. To my spiritual father and mother, Sid and Sally Weideman. Thank you for the time and effort you invested in me and showed me that a love for the truth in God’s Word should be a lifetime pursuit. Thanks to the team at SATS (Johannes Malherbe, Zoltan Erdey) who helped when I needed it most, with encouragement and guiding insight when I wanted to throw in the towel. To my proofreader Michael Smith, thanks for all the hours you helped me change the duckling to a hopeful swan. Lastly to my Supervisor, Dr Annang Asumang. Your patience and insights into this thesis cannot be measured. Thank you for the time and effort you have invested in this dream. iv Abstract This thesis examines verses 7-15 in Chapter 16 of the Gospel of John to see if what Jesus said specifically describes the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in triumphant Christian discipleship in a hostile world throughout the Christian era. The key words Sympherō and Paraclete are capable of translation in different ways, and each different rendering changes the significance of the chosen passage. This is examined in both its historical and literary context, as these have a significant impact on the meaning of the passage. The preferred translations ‘advantageous’ and 'a strong person coming alongside, someone to help in times of trouble, someone summoned to give assistance', have a deep relevance for our understanding of the pericope, Jesus’ last teaching to His disciples, on the role of the Holy Spirit to believers in a hostile world, and its application to our own situation. Believers living in this era of hostility needs to understand what Jesus meant with his farewell discourse and the impact the Holy Spirit has on everyday Christianity. v Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................... v Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. i Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 The Key Questions ...................................................................................... 4 1.3 Elucidation of the Problem ........................................................................... 4 1.4 Value of the study ........................................................................................ 5 1.5 Research Methodology ................................................................................ 5 1.6 Hypothesis ................................................................................................... 7 1.7 Structure ...................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................... 9 The Context of John 16:7-15 within the Book of John ................................................ 9 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Historical Context ......................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Authorship ................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.2 Date of Writing of John’s Gospel ......................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Historical Setting ..................................................................................................... 12 2.2.4 Purpose .................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Literary-theological Context ....................................................................... 14 2.3.1 Literary Structure .................................................................................................... 14 2.3.2 Theological Themes found in the Gospel of John ............................................. 14 2.3.3 Farewell Discourse ................................................................................................. 16 2.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................. 21 Literary Analysis of John 16:7-15 ............................................................................. 21 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 21 vi 3.2 Verbal Analysis of John 16:7-15 ................................................................ 21 3.2.1 Significant words .................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Exegesis of John 16:7-15 .......................................................................... 30 3.4 Exegetical Findings .................................................................................... 36 3.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 37 Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................. 38 Theological Significance of John 16:7-15 ................................................................. 38 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 38 4.2 Key Theological Ideas in John 16:7-15 ...................................................... 38 4.2.1 The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-15 ............................ 38 4.2.2 The Trinity in John 16:7-15 ................................................................................... 43 4.2.3 Discipleship in a Hostile World According to John 16:7-15 ............................. 44 4.2.4 Realised Eschatology in John 16:7-15 ................................................................ 45 4.3 Exegetical and Theological Synthesis........................................................ 46 4.4 Application ................................................................................................. 47 4.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 49 Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................. 50 Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................................ 50 5.1 Summary of Chapter 1 ............................................................................... 50 5.2 Summary of Chapter 2 ............................................................................... 50 5.3 Summary of Chapter 3 ............................................................................... 52 5.4 Summary of Chapter 4 ............................................................................... 53 5.5 Conclusion and Application ........................................................................ 55 Works consulted ....................................................................................................... 56 vii viii Abbreviations AMP Amplified Version ASV American Standard Version BBE Bible in Basic English BDAG Bauer Danker Arndt Gingrich Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament CEV Contemporary English Version DRB 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament ESV English Standard Version GNB